Bruises
by Mio-san
Summary: It was amazing, thought Nana as she looked in the mirror, what a little makeup could do. AU, light OOC, oneshot. NanaxHusky and NanaxCooro (if you squint).


**A/N: Another random idea I had. Rated T for mentions/implications of violence.**

…

"_Run, Nana!"_

It had been six years, to the day.

"_Stop it! Please!"_

But still, she insisted on coming back.

"_No! Don't hurt her!"_

And this was what she had to show.

Nana Alba looked herself over critically, shaking her head at the reflection in the glass. "This won't do at all," she sighed, shaking her head. "A girl is supposed to look presentable."

With a sigh, she got up from her vanity and walked to the closet, checking the shelf where she kept her extra-strength solution. In its place was a sticky note with Nana's neat cursive on it. "Don't forget: go to drugstore," she read, then groaned out loud. "With this monstrosity? I'll never be forgiven by the general public!"

Then, Nana spotted a scarf hanging over her doorknob and lunged for it, eyebrows raised as she formed an idea in her head. Within moments, she was wearing a white cotton jacket with sleeves that were just barely clipped above her fingernails and the woolen scarf from before, covering her mouth and neck like a mask someone cut in half. Twisting and turning in the mirror, Nana deemed the look acceptable. "It's not perfect," she sighed, "but I _suppose _it'll be good enough."

She exited the bathroom and padded down the hall, each near-silent step falling softly on the wooden floor. Photographs lined the walls, all of Nana: Nana as a little girl, Nana at an amusement park, Nana at her eighth birthday party, Nana at the mall, Nana thowing a coin into a fountain, Nana at her middle school graduation ceremony. And there it was, the most recent one, displaying Nana with cat ears and a cute black dress posing next to a silver-haired boy with a second pair of cat ears. Her eyes were sparkling, and he was laughing. It was a great shot.

_Sadly, _thought Nana, _that's only the girl I used to be._

She exchanged her slippers for a pair of flats and grabbed her keys off of the hook, opening the door and letting it swing shut behind her. After she had locked it, Nana hurried to the elevator before anyone could spot her and pounded on the "Close Doors" button, but not fast enough. A teenage boy raced to the elevator and barely made it in, leaning against the wall and panting. He grinned at Nana. "Hey, Alba! What's up?"

"Hi, Cooro," said Nana, with a defeated smile (not that he would be able to see it, her mouth was covered). "Just running some errands."

"Oh, cool." The raven-haired boy had moved in around the same time as Nana and ended up introducing himself to her rather spontaneously, blurting it out as she walked past to get to her apartment. He was quite friendly, and had invited Nana out to dinner a few times, but she had declined. She was involved with one person only, and as much as it was the contrary, did not want people thinking otherwise.

_Oh, shoot!_

An itch had risen right above her scarf, probably due to the ticklish fabric. She was dying to reach up and scratch it, but then her scarf would probably slip down, and she couldn't cover that abomination with her hand. Meanwhile, Nana was still trapped in the elevator with Cooro, and had no sense of privacy. _What'll I do?!_

Itch. Itch.

Itch. Itch.

Itch. Itch.

Nana reached up and scratched.

When her scarf slipped down, it wasn't really much of a surprise, as she had predicted it, but Nana still let a tiny "Oh!" of shock escape her as she reached down and yanked the fabric up again, hoping to God that Cooro hadn't seen.

"What's that?"

Too late.

Struggling to mask her shame, Nana ran her fingers over the black-and-blue blemish, averting her eyes from her curious neighbor's large, innocent ones. "It's nothing."

"Hey, Nana." Cooro sounded genuinely concerned as he reached over and pulled down the scarf, very gently. His eyes widened, but he did a much better job of hiding his emotions than Nana. "That looks like it hurts."

"It does," said Nana quietly.

"Did somebody hurt you?"

His question shocked the girl, not because he was wrong, but because he was _right. _How could such an innocent face procure such a mature question? Nana's conscience struggled with the answer, not wanting to reveal her personal life but at the same time, wanting someone to confide in. She could always confide in other people, but at the same time, he was so trusting, but then, she didn't want to lay a burden on him that he couldn't carry—

_Ding._

The elevator doors slid open, and Cooro shrugged, his usual, cheerful self once more. "Never mind. Take care of that. See ya around, Alba!" He waved in his typical carefree manner and strode off across the lobby, hands in his pockets.

Meanwhile, Nana swallowed her doubts and headed straight for the doors.

She stepped out into the buzzing city and sighed, filling her lungs with fresh air. Immediately, Nana's businesslike self stepped in, pushing her to take a step forward, and then another step. Soon she was striding along the walk, avoiding passerby as much as possible and trying to stick to the edge of the street. Her scarf occasionally slipped, leading to a moment of panic as Nana yanked it up past her nose again and tried to breathe normally. She wasn't sure why she was so on edge. Usually she was quite composed in public. But today was different.

Nana turned down a smaller street and pushed through the door of a small drugstore. It was a relatively old place with a sagging sign and windows that, no matter how many times they were washed, seemed to attract dust within seconds. But it was perfect for Nana's purposes, and also a reason to see her best friend. After all, it was hard enough living alone as a nineteen-year-old girl-practically-woman…

"Hey, Nana!" Rose's face brightened as the blonde girl strode over. They gave each other a hug over the counter and Rose pulled away, making a _tsk tsk _sound as soon as she spotted the scarf. "Oh, not again."

Nana let her head dip in a nod and her friend sighed. "You know you shouldn't keep going back there," she said, ducking under the counter and out of sight. "Technically, that's child abuse. No, screw that, it's domestic violence."

"I don't care what they say it is, I've already told you that," Nana insisted, letting the scarf fall. "He's still the man I lived with for eight years."

"And tortured you!" came Rose's angry voice from behind the counter.

"He didn't torture me!" Nana argued, rolling her eyes. "He's just confused. He needs time."

Rose poked her head above the counter, then straightened, placing a transparent tin on its hard surface. "What about your mom?"

Nana shrugged. "Well, it's weird enough that she's dating again after all this time. But then again, she _was _pretty young when she had me."

"Do you like the guy?" asked Rose critically. "That's always the most important thing."

"Yeah, he's nice," said Nana, as she pulled out her wallet. "But, I mean, come on. They're together like, twenty-four-seven. And then they're begging me to come visit them on the weekends when I have college… God, it just feels like they're kind of pushing it sometimes."

Rose shook her head, tapping out a calculation on the cash register. "Well, these things take time. You can't be expected to like the guy immediately."

"Speaking of guys," said Nana, anxious to steer the topic in a different direction. "How's Senri?"

The young clerk immediately perked up. "Awesome! I mean, we're awesome. I met his parents last week at dinner, and they were so nice! And oh my God, it wasn't awkward at all. They're such good conversationalists, they asked me about my degree and this job, and classes and grades… I really felt the pressure but they weren't put off in the least! And Senri was so considerate… I think I really sold it when I offered to help pay for dinner. He was a total gentleman and treated us all. Pfft, and nobody thought we were a good couple because I was too talkative! I'm not too talkative! That's ridiculous!"

"Absolutely," said Nana, nodding seriously while rolling her eyes through her head. "Besides, I think you two are perfect together."

"Right?" Rose bounced a little, reminding Nana for a moment of the sixteen-year-old girl she had been when they met. "God, Nana, you're the only person who understands."

Nana smiled, pleased in spite of herself, as she pocketed the tin. "Thanks, Rose. For the makeup, I mean, and the compliment."

Rose flashed a peace sign at her. "No problem. Don't make me sneak into your pantry and eat all of your Oreos so you can have an excuse to visit me again!"

"Not in a million years," Nana promised solemnly. "I'll be back when I can."

"Don't forget!" chided Rose, and then she ducked underneath the counter once more as Nana left the shop.

She crossed the street, pulling up her scarf again, and hurried home as fast as she could. The tin jangled in her purse, reminding her of the throbbing pain in her chin.

"_What the heck are you doing back here? Get out of here now!"_

"_You don't understand. I just want to talk."_

"_Stay away from me! I don't know you, and I don't give a darn about what you think!"_

"_Please. Don't you remember? I'm Nana. I'm your daughter."_

"_Stay away! You she-devil!"_

_Nana reeled at his blow, stumbling back against the wall. The nurse rushed to her side and pulled her away, her fingernails digging into her skin in a wild attempt to protect the girl from the raging man in front of her. "Mr. Alba, I believe it's best that you rest now."_

"_No!" Nana's father—or what used to be her father—flung his hands out, barely missing Nana's arm. "Get out! All of you! Get out!"_

The blonde girl shuddered and picked up her pace.

By the time she arrived back at the apartment, evening had begun to fall. Nana unlocked the door and crossed the lobby with a casual, mumbled "Hello" to the lady at the desk, who smiled back at her in recognition. She spent the elevator ride checking and rechecking the tin, anxious to get back to her bathroom and apply it as soon as possible.

_Domestic violence, _chanted Rose's voice in her mind. _Domestic violence._

_Shut up, _Nana told it.

The elevator doors slid open with a pleasant _ding_, and Nana stepped out into the hallway. Hefting the purse over her shoulder, she hurried past the other apartment doors, each tucked into a tiny nook to shelter it from the wind that whisked through either end of the hall and out through the open windows._ Thank God I'm finally home_, thought Nana as she clutched her keys, letting the scarf slip down once and for all. _Now I can just readjust my makeup, find a cute dress, maybe buy a new pair of shoes, and I'm ready to go for my da—_

She froze.

He was standing at her door, fist raised, poised to knock—but his eyes stopped at her, first moving over her purse, then the tin and keys in her hand, and finally to the bruise that was throbbing persistently on her chin.

"N-nana!" Husky tried for a smile, but she could see he was mostly shocked. "I decided to come early and surprise you… so, er, surprise!"

Nana remained frozen for a minute longer until her brain forced her legs to move. She perched on her tiptoes to brush a quick kiss onto his lips, then moved around him to the door, which she unlocked and slipped through. Judging by the footsteps behind her, Husky had followed.

They both exchanged their shoes for slippers and walked into the family room. Nana switched on a light and attempted to grin at her boyfriend, who had morphed from sheepish to stern. "So… sorry I wasn't around!"

He frowned at her and crossed the room in one stride, cradling her chin in his hand. "Nana, what is this?"

She winced. "It's… it's really nothing, it doesn't even hurt."

Husky sighed. "You were visiting him again, weren't you? We've discussed this, Nana. I won't allow you to keep on seeing someone who is clearly hurting you!"

Nana sighed as well. "I know. And… I'm sorry. But he doesn't get any other visitors. I know what it's like to be lonely, and I don't want him to suffer the same way."

Husky's scowl softened. He pulled her against him, holding her tightly as if afraid to let go. "You suffered enough at his hand. I just want you to be safe, Nana."

She let herself relax, releasing the tense energy that had built up in her muscles. "I will be."

"I know you will," he mumbled into the girl's blond locks. "I'm just worried. I worry every day. I want to see you alive and well."

Nana laughed, though the sound was muffled. "I _am _alive and well. But you wouldn't want someone giving up on you, would you? This is for his own good… and maybe for mine, too."

Husky sounded unconvinced, pulling her in even tighter. "A bruise like that is _not _for your own good."

"But I need closure, you know?" Nana loosened her grip and looked up into her boyfriend's blue eyes. "If I decided to never see him again, it would feel like something was missing. I wouldn't be able to live how I'm living now. This is what we need, for both of us. And he will _not _hurt me again. I promise."

Husky pulled away and tugged at his bangs, a habit that had sprouted since he had let his hair grow out. "I trust you. Just know that if he ever lays a single, sober hand on you…"

Nana smiled at his protective nature. "Then you'll pulverize him into flecks of ash, I'm sure."

He laughed. "You know me too well, Nana."

"Duh." The blonde tossed her head cockily.

"So, anyway…" Husky shot another look at her injury. "I know we were going to have our date tonight, but I haven't made the reservation yet and I _really _don't like the look of that bruise. Maybe we should take a rain check."

"No!" Nana cleared her throat. "I mean, no. I'm fine! Honestly, I just need to use some makeup. It's fine. I swear."

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Are you sure? I haven't made a reservation yet. We can order in and watch a movie or something."

Nana fidgeted. "Chinese takeout and _Breakfast At Tiffany's_?"

Husky threw his hands in the air and grinned. "Oh, what the heck."

…

**A/N: Aww. Nana and Husky are too cute!**

**You guys better review! I am open for oneshot requests, though I will not do any lemon-esque situations or anything rated above T. PM me for details if you're interested!**

**Peace!**


End file.
